Learning to talk science

By Adam Uzzell

A leaf is a leaf.  Unless it’s a leaflet.  Or a modified stem.  Or something else entirely.  To the some, it’s hard to tell the difference.

That’s where science communication comes in.  Science communication (SCOM) is a major offered at Winthrop University that teaches students to understand, translate, and report scientific information to people with varying levels of scientific background.  Many jobs stem from this major, including writing for technical manuals, scientific publications, and research labs.

The SCOM major first appeared at Winthrop in 1993.  This incredibly unique major is very rare, found in only a select few Universities.                                      

According to Dr. Josephine Koster, Dr. David Rankin founded the major and oversaw it until his departure to Midland State University in Texas several years ago.  

Until recently Koster was the advisor for the SCOM major.  “There are no faculty assigned to the program,” said Koster.

Currently, there are only three students enrolled in the SCOM major.  One of these students is Kate Rishebarger, a junior at Winthrop. 

“Honestly, I didn’t even want to go to Winthrop,” said Rishebarger.  However, the allure of a major that combined Rishebarger’s interest in English and biology was hard to pass up.  “It was a such a perfect fit I stopped looking anywhere else,” said Rishebarger.

Rishebarger, however, is a rare case.  

The SCOM major has never had more than two graduates in a year, and some years there are no graduates at all.  According to Dr. Gregg Hecimovich, Chair of the English Department at Winthrop, the SCOM major may be in danger of being discontinued.

“The number of students who are enrolled in the     program are very small,” said Hecimovich, “Because the program is a unique academic program, it requires an inordinate amount of reporting and accrediting administration -- for such limited credit hour production.”

Students already enrolled in the program have nothing to worry about though.  Even in the event that Winthrop must discontinue the SCOM major currently enrolled students will be able to finish their required internships and the degree.  

Despite the threat of discontinuation, both Koster and Hecimovich agree that SCOM is a unique and promising major.  “It may find a better fit in the Department of Interdisciplinary Studies,” said Hecimovich.

Is this small, unique major worth it? “Absolutely,” Kate said, “I’d get bored with anything else.”